The Delhi government on Thursday announced that the third stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) meant for reducing air pollution will come into effect from Friday, given the deteriorating air quality index and the thick smog that has blanketed the city since Wednesday.
The GRAP Stage III curbs include a ban on construction and demolition activities and plying of BS-lll petrol and BS-IV diesel light motor vehicles.
GRAP for the National Capital Region (NCR) is classified under four different stages of adverse air quality in Delhi: Stage I — ‘poor’ (AQI 201-300); Stage II — ‘very poor’ (AQI 301-400); Stage III — ‘severe’ (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV — ‘severe plus’ (AQI >450).
What’s Banned Under GRAP III
Activities banned under GRAP Stage III restrictions include:
-Construction and demolition activities
-Operations of stone crushers
-All mining and associated activities in the national capital region.
-Plying of BS III petrol and BS IV diesel LMVs (four-wheelers) in Delhi and in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar.
-Meanwhile, NCR state governments and the Delhi government may take a decision on discontinuing physical classes in schools for children up to Class V and conducting classes in an online mode.
What’s Allowed Under GRAP III
Some construction and demolition activities are allowed under the following categories of projects:
-Projects for railway services/railway stations
-Projects for Metro rail services and stations
-Airports and inter state bus terminals
-National security/defence related activities/projects of national importance
-Hospitals/health care facilities
-Linear public projects such as highways, roads, flyovers, over bridges, power transmission/distribution, pipelines etc.
-Sanitation projects like sewage treatment plants and water supply projects etc.;
-Ancillary activities, specific to and supplementing the above noted categories of projects.
For all construction projects in NCR, non-polluting/non-dust generating activities such as plumbing works, electrical works, carpentry related works and interior furnishing/finishing/decoration works (excluding painting, polishing and varnishing works etc) is permitted.
Parts of Delhi-NCR remained under a thick blanket of smog and ‘severe’ category air quality for the second straight day on Thursday, while the temperature also dipped to season’s lowest, with the New Delhi-Ridge area recording 11.2 degrees Celsius.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on earlier on Thursday said the government will not impose the third phase of the GRAP for now, however, the curbs were later announced.
Referring to data from the Centre for Environment and Science, Rai had said Delhi’s pollution levels were influenced by both local sources and regional contributions from October 12 to November 3.
The data attributed 30.34 per cent of pollution in the national capital to Delhi’s local sources while 34.97 per cent was contributed by surrounding NCR and areas beyond NCR.
“If the conditions worsen, strict measures will be implemented, like last year, as the safety of children and residents is paramount,” news agency PTI quoted Rai as saying on likely school closures due to ‘severe’ air quality.
